The Build: A Masterclass in Fundraising

On October 14th, two founders share the real story of how they raised well over $10 million for their ventures, without going the VC route. One through reward-based crowdfunding, one through equity crowdfunding. Two different vehicles, the same refusal to hand over the company to get there. This is a masterclass in fundraising outside the traditional path. What We'll Get Into The psychology behind why total strangers hand you their money, what actually earns trust before the pitch does How to know your product has real demand before you ever open a raise Reward-based vs. equity crowdfunding, the real difference, and how to know which one fits your business What a crowdfunding campaign actually costs you in time, money, and control, before you launch one How to compete against companies with 10x your funding, without matching their war chest The decision they'd admit didn't work out, and what they did next Meet the Founders Trung Pham Founder & CEO of RYSE $11.2M+ raised from 3,229 everyday investors. Turned a broken window shade in his own condo into a smart home company with 10 patents and 40,000+ devices shipped. Peng Lin Owner & CEO of DKK Brands 32,000+ Kickstarter backers. Built a multi-brand consumer goods company, ESPRO, Liiton, ProClad, VIVA, from a glass factory in China to Amazon, Walmart, and his own café in Toronto. Agenda 6:00–7:00 PMDoors open. Drinks, finger food, and networking. 7:00–8:00 PMFounder Panel. 8:00–8:30 PMAudience Q&A. 8:30–9:00 PMNetworking. Details 📅 Wednesday, October 14th 2026 🕕 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM 👔 Dress Code: Business Casual 📍 One Eleven 325 Front St. W Toronto, Ontario M5V 2Y1 All tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable. By attending, you acknowledge and consent to photography and video recording during the event. You also agree to receive updates and future event announcements from Kolbe 15, and you can unsubscribe at any time.